Confusion is common in the world of "what's good for us and what's not?" at the grocery store. And several food companies and supermarkets have been trying to demystify labels by applying gold stars (marked on wholesome picks) and traffic-light-style markings (green for the nutritious stuff, yellow for okay options, and red for unhealthy items). But do these techniques work? A recent study specifically looked at the cereal aisle, and found that the special labeling increased demand for the gold-starred (healthier) breakfast foods. And a report on the color-coding system used in Massachusetts General Hospital's cafeteria found that "green" items sold better than "red" ones among consumers who noticed the symbols. We LOVE this whole concept and, frankly, anything that helps people make smarter choices. A few extra tips from us, since these coding systems aren't everywhere yet... Watch out for food fakers (click here to read more on the deceptive items), don't be fooled by "health halo" phrases (for example, thinking gluten-free foods are inherently healthy or good for weight loss), and always remember to look at the serving size AND servings per container!

Fill Your Cart with Green Lights and Gold Stars!

Sprite Zero, Holiday Hero!

The Buzz...

With October officially behind us, more seasonal flavors are marching our way! Make room in your life for Sprite Zero Cranberry, with its snow-white can and sweet-tart taste! Yummm... ***HG POLL ALERT: We're working on an app that would be available as a supplement to the Hungry Girl diet book (coming in March)! Tell us what features you'd like it to have. PLEASE click here to answer three quick questions... Thank you! ***Unless you've been living under a rock (no offense to stone dwellers), you're probably aware that fiber is important to your diet. Well apparently, it could even help save your life! New research from the American Journal of Medicine shows a significant connection between low intake of dietary fiber and increased cardiometabolic risks (like metabolic syndrome and obesity). Now might be a good time to take a look back at these fiber-ific items... ***Tune-in time! Catch HG Lisa TODAY (Monday, 11/4) on The Doctors. She'll show you how to save TONS of calories with recipes for comfort foods like stuffed French toast, taco pizza, meatloaf, and MORE. Click for show times! ***Lastly, we've long been fans of making tiny art projects out of the wax that encases our beloved Babybel cheese. From the looks of it, we're not alone! Click here to see why BuzzFeed dubbed Babybel wax "The Ultimate Artistic Medium." Maybe art-supply stores ought to rethink their marketing strategies... Pastels + Popchips? Clay + cookies? (Er, maybe not.) And that's all we've got. HG out!

Pass around the News while it's still new! Click "Send to a Friend" now.

CHEW ON THIS:

Today, November 4th is... National Candy Day. Really? That wasn't last Thursday, a.k.a. Halloween? If you're looking to make your leftover candy count, check out these snazzy recipes!

We may have received free samples of food, which in no way influences whether these products are reviewed favorably, unfavorably, mentioned with indifference, or mentioned at all. Click for more about our editorial and advertising policies.

*The PointsPlus® values for these products and/or recipes were calculated by Hungry Girl and are not an endorsement or approval of the product, recipe or its manufacturer or developer by Weight Watchers International, Inc., the owner of the PointsPlus® registered trademark.